Hi,
I've decided to try wingfoiling coming from a background of windsurfing/windfoiling (intermediate level). I weigh 80kg.
My local shop has recommended a package for me which includes the following:
- Cabrinha Fusion Foil kit. I've upgraded the mast to carbon. 84cm mast with a 1600 front wing
- JP X-Winger board. Based on my watersports experience they're recommending either 105L or 95L.
- Cabrinha Crosswing 5m. I've already picked this up and flown on the beach.
Being a windsurfer I'm conscious that one can easily get locked into a brand and wanted to get people's advice on the above recommendation. I'm particularly concerned about getting locked into the wrong foil brand especially given I'm thinking of upgrading to the carbon mast from the get-go. The shop also stocks has Fanatic and Axis as part of their standard packages. What are people's thoughts on foil brands both in terms of quality but also in terms of 2nd hand market options. I usually have mostly bought 2nd hand gear for windsurfing so 2nd hand market availability is an important consideration.
Next question is on board size. I'm planning on practicing using the wing on both the beach as well as on a large windsurf board with a dagger board so hoping I can avoid the need for the 40L+ type board to begin with. Am I being unrealistic here? Is 95 or 105 way to low for me?
If you want to have a better 2nd hand market value then change the foil out for the Axis, more options and better resale down the track if upgrading wings and masts.
The 105L board is probably the better option when starting out if they are what you are going to choose from. The main things with the board is you want light/strong and boxes in the right places to suit the foils you are going to ride.
The 5m wind wing you have will work
Go with a foil brand where there is a lot of gear out on the second hand market. Which brand that is depends on your location. I like my Axis gear, plenty of options to customise the gear to my needs and wants. However, some people find that confusing, having too much choice.
Board: The 105 is possibly the better option over the 95. Compare it to windsurfing: The benefits of a 135l board as an intermediate outweigh often the disadvantages, compared to a 125l board.
5m wing is usually a good size to start with. Make sure you have plenty of wind on your first foil attempts, power is your friend. A lot of people struggle to get up on the foil because they are going out in not enough wind for their skill set.
Agree with above comments. I started out on a 125L board and am 70kg. Go bigger for volume as it will speed up your initial learning curve.
Coming from a windsurfing background, you will pick up wing skills fast.
I'd resist upgrading to the carbon mast initially. They're a big increase in cost for a small upgrade in performance and given you're not fully across what the gear will be like, I think it'd be worth waiting on that. If you find the gear isn't really what you want and you decide to jump to a different brand, then you're dropped a lot on that mast. Or if you want a mast that's a different length as your go-to at a later time.
I have axis gear and there's lots in the local area using the same so second hand gear comes up all the time. I was on a different brand to begin with but they had some changes between foils so there was a lack of compatability between the newer and older stuff and that crapped me off, so I jumped ship.
